International Women's Day - Part 3

Jan 09, 2019

International Women's Day has been around since the 1900s. For several years, beginning in 1909, the day was celebrated on the last Sunday in February. This later changed to March 8^th, which is the same date that women were given the right to vote in Russia. This is a time for us to look at ways of improving the global concerns of women, as well as looking back and remembering decades of women struggling for equality, justice, peace and change. Here are just a few women who have aided that cause:

Clara Baron (1821 - 1912) :: Humanitarian

This shy woman is known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" because during the Civil War, she cared for the wounded on both sides - something that was unheard of at that time. Clara founded the American Red Cross after she became familiar with its European counterpart. As president of the American Red Cross, she made many trips around the world to help others - even in her late 70s.

Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) :: Humanitarian

When she was almost two, Helen had an illness that left her blind and deaf. She overcame these handicaps and pushed the limit for disabled people. As an author and lecturer, Helen traveled the world campaigning for civil rights. She also became a powerful spokesperson for others with disabilities.

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) :: Humanitarian

Born in the former Yugoslavia, Mother Teresa spent the majority of her life in India teaching and working in the slums of Calcutta. She established her own Christian order called The Missionaries of Charity, which continues to take on projects around the world helping children's groups, medical clinics, homes for the dying and leper colonies. Mother Teresa won the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the Nehru Prize for her humanitarian work in 1972 and both the Balzan and Nobel Peace prizes in 1979. Mother Teresa's life was dedicated solely to helping others, never needing the limelight to make her happy.

Mother Teresa

Princess Diana (1961-1997) :: Humanitarian

Not only did Princess Diana give birth to two of the hottest boys to grace Buckingham Palace, but she also contributed to a ton of charities. Wanting to open the minds of her two boys, Princess Di took them to visit homeless shelters and people dying of AIDS. She spent tons of time and money to bring more awareness to both AIDS and leprosy, a disease that attacks your skin and nerves, often causing major disfiguration. Princess Di was the spokesperson and activist in the global campaign to eliminate land mines.

Princess Diana remains a beloved figure

Liliuokalani (1838 - 1917) :: Leader

She was the last reigning queen of Hawaii, just before the United States took control of the islands. She fought bitterly with the Americans to keep rule of Hawaii, but was arrested and sentenced to house arrest for over a year. In 1898, Hawaii officially became part of the United States, despite Liliuokalani's efforts.

Pocahontas (1595-1617) :: Leader

Pocahontas, whose name means "little, wanton, playful, frolicsome child," did much more than have a Disney movie made about her life. Pocahontas kept the peace between the Algonquian Indians of Virginia and the British in the early 17th century. In essense, Pocahontas was the first Native American diplomat. She was baptized and given the Christian name Rebecca, and then married a Christian explorer named John Rolfe in 1614. She moved to Britain with her husband and never made it back to Virginia. Pocahontas died on a voyage to the US when she was 22 and was buried in England.

Hillary Clinton (1947 - present) :: Leader

Her husband was the President of the United States for eight years, and in that time, Hillary Clinton made the best of her status of the First Lady. She got involved in humanitarian organizations, supporting women's issues around the world. Hillary has since gone on to become a senator of New York, making her the first woman to be elected statewide. You can expect to see a lot more of Hillary in the political future as well. Hillary became the first female candidate to be nominated for president by a major U.S. political party. She ran as the Democratic candidate in 2016 but lost the presidential election to Republican opponent Donald Trump.